Active efforts are underway in developing smart communities aimed at making optimal use of energy in an overall town or region, by integrated management of diverse urban infrastructure such as electric power and transportation. One of the approaches directed to such smart communities is that of demand response (DR).
Demand response is an approach to achieving optimal energy utilization in an overall region, by promoting a reduction in the amount of energy supplied to buildings, homes or the like during times in which the supply-and-demand situation is tight. Demand response is the subject of particular study with regard to electrical energy, and a number of control techniques for electric power-consuming equipment related to demand response have been proposed.
As methods of reducing the amount of received power related to demand response regarding electrical energy, methods of increasing the electricity unit purchase price and methods of granting incentives in accordance with the amount of reduction in received power amount can be cited. The term incentive as used here refers to a consideration (a so-called reward) for paying for reduction in the received power amount made to promote reduction of the received energy amount, such as the received power amount.